


in starlight we bloom

by colorfullysarah



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Angst, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Celestial Mythology & Folklore, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Victor Nikiforov, Inspired by Stardust but not a Stardust AU, Language of Flowers, Lovingly making tea for your crush, M/M, Magic and Technology, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Plant Witch Yuuri, Sharing a Bed, Slice of Life, Witches, silly boys in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-25 02:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14368755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colorfullysarah/pseuds/colorfullysarah
Summary: A star can fall twice.Katsuki Yuuri, a dime-a-dozen witch from a small seaside town on the coast of Asuwa, has loved the night sky his entire life. Yet when his favorite star blinks out, it's no coincidence when a strange man with hair like starlight walks into his family's inn the next morning. Yuuri's emotions only become more of a knotted mess as he finds himself trying to untangle the truth from legends that he once believed were nothing more than bedtime stories, but by the end?He discovers a lot more than he bargained for.





	in starlight we bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the time has finally come. This fic was born from my blood, sweat and tears and a lot of wishing I could bang my head on my desk when I stumbled into the void known as ‘writer’s block’. Honestly, this first chapter would have never gotten finished if it wasn’t for the encouragement of a whole community of people. Literally. 
> 
> So, I need to say thank you to these beautiful and amazing people: Basia, Rita, Chloe, Ollie, Abby, Addy, Ditto and everyone else in the We Write Victuuri server who have listened to me whine about when a scene just wasn’t working or helped me work through various ideas for the last couple months. 
> 
> A huge, special shout out to my beta, Ollie. Without you, this first chapter would be a hot mess that I would've been too embarrassed to ever put out into the world. I adore you to pieces <3
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of In Starlight We Bloom!

Starlight, they say, is the giver of life—for without the stars there would be no rolling hills saturated with every color imaginable, or beautiful seas filled to the brim with wonder and excitement. But most importantly, without starlight, there would be no magic woven into the very fabric of the universe itself.

The stars themselves, they say, are beautiful beings, incandescent and kind as they watch over their children and keep them close enough that they’ll flourish as they dance around them endlessly. Some stars, though, remain without planets of their own, remaining free to watch over their brothers and sisters children with benevolence.

It is these stars, they say, that possess a magic the others do not; the ability to walk among mortals as though they’ve always belonged, if they so desired.

What they do not say is:

There is _always_ a price to pay when one chooses to fall.

 

. . .

 

A boy slips out of his bedroom window, a blanket and pillow tucked under his arm as he clambers onto the roof, careful not to misstep and tumble off the edge as he settles down in his favorite spot. He wraps himself up in the blanket he charmed to stay warm against the falltime chill and finally, finally looks up and—

His breath is snatched right from his lungs as his brown eyes trace the constellations that make up the sky.

Nebula weave their way between the spaces, smearing the black with bright colors and the boy loves the sky like this — loves the way it seeps into his chest until he feels warm in a way that magic can never replicate. Trees rustle around him as if responding to his thoughts, fruitlessly trying to reach for the same stars he wishes he could scoop up into his hands and press to his heart.

“You know Mom doesn’t like you sneaking out here.”

The boy startles, nearly losing his balance when he swings his gaze back to the window where his sister is leaning against the sill. He frowns at her before sticking out his tongue. She remains completely unbothered by his response, laughing instead as she climbs out the window to join him.

“It’s the first night of falltime,” he mumbles as he pulls his knees close to his chest so he can wrap his arms around them. “They always shine a little brighter, kinda like they’re dancing.”

His sister doesn’t laugh this time, and he wonders if he said something dumb. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we’ll see a star fall.”

The boy sucks in a sharp breath, nearly choking on it as he turns to look at her. “Why would a star want to fall _here_? Why would they want to fall _at all_?”

She shrugs, still looking up at the sky when she answers. “Don’t you think it’s lonely up there? Being so far away from each other like they are, never able to dance or love or laugh, that sounds pretty lonely to me.”

He frowns, resting his head on his arms as he tries to see the sky the way she does. And he _does_ try to see the loneliness instead of the beauty, but he can’t. If _he_ was a star he didn’t think he’d ever want to leave.

“Maybe,” he says instead, because what does he really know? He’s just some boy living in a small town on the easternmost coast of Asuwa. All he’s ever known is the inn his family has run for generations, welcoming those who are brave enough to seek out adventure as they make their way from the mountains to the west.

They’re quiet for a while, enjoying the show the stars seem to put on and it feels as if it’s just for the two of them and no one else. But as always, his sister breaks the silence. “How’s your field doing?”

He brightens a little at her words. “I think I managed to figure out the right spell for the tulips,” he says, eyes remaining locked on a single, beautiful star. “They’re a little brighter every day now. I’ll bring some back next time I go.”

And even though he isn’t looking at his sister, he knows she’s smiling when she says, “I think Mom and Dad would like that.”

Eventually, they’re forced to head back inside when even heating charms won’t keep the chilly breeze coming off the sea from seeping into their bones. “I’ll bring hot chocolate next time,” she says, ruffling his hair and he smiles, wide and happy.

The years pass by, yet despite how time forces them to grow and take on more responsibilities they refuse to give up their spot on the roof. Even when Mari gets older and goes off to university two towns over, she always makes sure to come back to their small town on the important nights, the ones that have meaning to Yuuri.

“Hey, I won’t be able to make it back home tonight,” she says, and he can see she feels guilty even through the screen. “Our train malfunctioned on the way through the mountains, something about a spike in energy they weren’t expecting so we’re kinda stuck two towns over and I know it’s the first night of falltime and—”

He waves her apology off before she can even begin it. “It’s fine, Mari,” he insists before she can talk over him. She frowns, and he does his best to give her a genuine smile. “Are you gonna be okay for the night?”

She shrugs, and he can’t help but envy her for a moment because she seems so unconcerned being stranded in a town she doesn’t know. He knows he wouldn’t be handling things half as well as she is, would be thinking about all the things that could go wrong while he was miles away and—

“Yuuri?”

He snaps out of his thoughts and shoots Mari a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he mumbles. “I’m a little tired today. The flowers haven’t been growing well the last few weeks and I’ve been trying to figure out why. It’s like none of my magic is getting through anymore…” He frowns as he trails off.

Mari’s frowning too, and he hates to worry her. “Yuuri... please don’t overdo it. I’m sure it’s just an off year for them. Remember the last time you spent too long out in that field?”

Yeah, like he could ever forget and she knows this. After all, it was her who found him, appearing by his side when he woke up confused and weak. “I’m fine, it’s just been a lot between classes and helping around here while you’ve been gone.”

Guilt creeps into her expression again and great, that is not what he wanted to do. He shakes his head quickly. “It’s fine,” he insists again, hoping he sounds convincing enough but knows he’s probably failing spectacularly. “You deserve to have a break every once in a while and I don’t mind, honestly.”

This time Mari’s the one shaking her head, but she doesn’t argue further. “Just be careful, that’s all I ask,” she says and well, he can’t begrudge that. He’s sure he would be saying the same thing if their roles were reversed.

“I will, I will,” he promises and shifts a little on the pillow he brought out. “Stay safe tonight.”

“I always am,” she says, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips, and the knot between his shoulders finally eases when he sees it. They talk for a few more minutes before she has to hang up, leaving him to sit on the roof alone for the first time in years.

Mari’s almost thirty now, he knows that, but sometimes it’s hard to wrap his head around the fact they’re not kids anymore who sneak out onto the roof in the middle of the night with hot chocolates in their hands hoping to catch a falling star.

The quiet is different this time, and he isn’t sure if he likes it when it settles over him. They rarely talk whenever they come out here, but it’s a peaceful silence; it wraps around him protectively as if the stars themselves are reaching out with their light to hug him.

It doesn’t feel like that tonight.

“Maybe you can tell me what’s happening to my field?” he whispers, the words barely audible to his own ears, but the wind must carry them up, up, up for him because he swears his favorite star shines a little brighter.

He sighs, wishing the thought was true, that the stars could hear him and answer back. But he isn’t a child anymore and the stories his parents used to tell him when they tucked him into bed are just that—stories. “I’ve tried everything I can think of, looked through every book I’ve found and nothing works. I just... I hate seeing them suffer.”

It’s probably childish and ridiculous that he cares about the flowers’ feelings the way he does, but they’ve always understood him in ways no one else can. And he just can’t stand to see them struggle to grow, straining up from the soil like every inch is painful only to wilt the moment they bloom.

Maybe… maybe it’s _him_ that’s causing their suffering. Maybe his magic just isn’t strong enough anymore for them to flourish, maybe this is their way of telling him it’s time to move on, to grow up.

His eyes burn with tears as that thought tears apart his mind. “I should just leave them be, shouldn’t I? They probably don’t want me around anymore.”

The trees rustle and he isn’t sure if they’re agreeing or trying to comfort him as he pulls his knees to his chest, curling against them in an attempt to hide despite the fact he’s twenty-three now and no longer a small boy.

Before he can bury his face in his arms there’s a flash of bright, brilliant light that rips his gaze upward and what he sees snatches his breath right from his lungs.

It can’t be…

His favorite star is…

He watches with impossibly wide eyes, frozen where he sits as it falls, falls, falls and—

His feet slip as he scrambles off the roof, ignoring the way pain shoots through his ankles and knees when he lands on the front lawn but he doesn’t care because he’s running, running, running so fast his body isn’t able to process anything but the adrenaline.

It isn’t until he’s halfway to his field that he realizes he doesn’t have shoes on and the rocks and twigs strewn across the path are cutting up the soles of his feet but that’s just more pain he doesn’t have time to deal with, he’ll heal himself later, right now he needs to -

The field looks perfect, _too_ perfect, when he arrives and maybe he was wrong—no. No he knows this is where his star was falling to, the only place that makes any sense.

But where…?

He’s mindful of where he steps now, careful not to smear his blood against the struggling flowers, not wanting to give them something else to fight their way through, doesn’t want to mar their beauty as he walks towards the center.

What he finds leaves him frozen with confusion. “What the...?”

The words fall from his lips before he realizes, and he claps his hands over his mouth when the dog stirs as if waking up from a comfortable nap, stretching its front paws out before sitting and looking at him like this happens every night.

“Are you... the star?” Because he has to ask, of course he does, but deep down he already knows the answer. He already knows this dog may come from the sky, yet it’s not the star he’s watched for over twelve years now.

None of this makes any sense. The last time a star fell to their world was over four hundred years ago, and the stories have been warped and twisted so many times barely anyone believes they hold truth anymore. And he’s sure even if he managed to find and discover the real story of the last fallen star, it wouldn’t be about a dog…

The dog doesn’t let him think about it any further because it’s barking softly and jumping up on him in excitement. He topples over, grateful for the soft earth beneath him when his back hits the ground, knocking most of the air from his lungs as the dog licks his face.

And he can’t help the laughter that spills from his lips as buries his hands in the dog’s soft fur until the chilly breeze coming off the sea begins to sink into his bones. “Alright, alright,” he says, gently nudging the dog off his chest. “I have no idea what’s going on but it’s getting too cold for even you to stay out here.”

He quickly casts a warming charm over the both of them, and that gets him a happy bark in return as they wind their way through the woods surrounding his family’s inn. And honestly, Yuuri isn’t at all surprised that the dog follows him without any hesitation. He’s just grateful that it’s well-behaved enough that he doesn’t even have to murmur a quiet command to stay silent as they sneak their way inside.

He’ll have to come up with some reason for the sudden appearance of a dog in his room in the morning, but for now he’s sore and tired and confused about what just happened. Maybe when it’s daylight he’ll be able to find more evidence of the star that fell—his favorite star.

At that thought, he stops abruptly halfway up the stairs leading to his room. His _favorite_ star just fell from the sky, and when he goes out onto the roof next time it won’t be there.

The realization sparks an ache in his chest that leaves him frozen until the dog softly whines and nudges his leg with its nose. Absently, he pats its head until he feels as though he can move again. He knows it’s silly to be this upset over a star, but it’s been witness to the ups and downs of his life in ways the others have not. Yuuri has looked up at the sky with tears on his cheeks, seeking out that one star until he found it and cried until he had no more tears to give.

And while the star brought him comfort when he was bogged down by his thoughts and oppressive sadness, it also saw laughter and jokes traded back and forth between him and Mari as they tried to keep their voices down so they didn’t wake their parents or the other guests.

That star has been such a fixed point in his life that now he feels adrift in ways he hasn’t felt since he was on the cusp of adulthood with a dream locked away in his heart.

Shaking his head, he quickly makes his way down to the end of the hall and opens his bedroom door, ushering the dog inside. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the morning for some food,” he whispers once the door is shut safely behind him, giving them a protective barrier against the reality of their situation.

For now, he’s just another witch with a dog who looks ready to curl up at the foot of his bed. It’s a sweet sight, and Yuuri can feel the ache in his chest ease a little bit as he walks over to his window and goes out onto the roof to gather the blanket and pillow he had brought out earlier.

He doesn’t look up at the sky.

 

. . .

 

“Oh my god, Yuuri! They said a star—what the hell?”

Mari’s voice rips him from sleep, and he nearly tumbles off his bed but manages to catch himself just in time.

With his glasses off, Mari’s just a blur and he squints up at her to try and bring her expression into focus. It’s practically useless without his glasses though, so he sighs and fumbles around until he finds them. And when his vision sharpens, for a split second he’s confused about why she looks so shocked until an excited bark breaks the silence of the room.

Oh.

So last night wasn’t a dream then.

“Er…” He trails off, looking between Mari and the dog sitting happily at the end of his bed. “A star fell last night?”

This doesn’t clear the confusion on Mari’s face. Instead, he watches it deepen and he mentally curses himself for not figuring out what the hell he was going to say to everyone in the morning the night before. He’s not awake enough to string coherent thoughts together, let alone actually put _words_ together.

He sighs and reaches out to pet the dog. “My star fell last night,” he murmurs, looking studiously at the dog’s curly brown fur. Distantly, he registers the dog is a poodle and he’s always loved poodles, even asked for one for his twelfth birthday but wasn’t allowed because sometimes guests would be allergic.

“It fell and I thought... I mean I’m pretty sure it did—it fell right into my field,” he says, and he glances at Mari to see if she’s moved.

She hasn’t.

He resists the urge to fidget where he’s sitting by burying a hand into the dog’s fur. “When I finally showed up… this dog was asleep in the middle of my field. I don’t—I mean I’m pretty sure it came from the sky, but I don’t think it’s the star? Or maybe it’s a smaller star that we can’t see the light from?”

There’s a beat of silence before Mari speaks. “So... let me get this straight. At some point after I hung up last night, a star—your _favorite_ star — fell from the sky and landed in your field. But when you got there all you saw was this dog, and you decided to bring it back here?”

Okay, when she puts it that way it sounds completely unrealistic. Like some crazy story he came up with just to get his parents to let him keep a stray dog he found last night; like he was still some teenager and not an adult in his own right.

“I wouldn’t make this up,” he says, defensive because he knows what happened was real.

Mari raises her hands in surrender, and some of the tension leaks from his shoulders. “I’m not saying you did,” she says. “But it does sound a little crazy to be honest.”

He frowns and the dog whines softly, leaning forward to lick his cheek. It’s careful to not bump his glasses with its nose and oh—he wants this dog to stay with him forever. “I know it does, but it’s what happened. If I really wanted a dog I’d just move out and room with Phichit like he keeps begging me to.”

“Okay... you have a point there,” she concedes, finally walking farther into the room and shutting the door behind her. He’d rather not try to explain all of this to his parents right now. Mari’s always been better at getting them to understand his moods when he finds himself anxious or sad for no apparent reason.

She pulls out the chair from his desk and flops into it. Yuuri can tell she’s exhausted from her trip back home. He wants to ask how she managed to get back so early, but figures that’s a question for later. “The fallen star is all over the news you know. Everyone within a thousand miles saw it happen. They’re trying to figure out where it landed.”

Yuuri’s chest tightens at her words. The thought of people trying to find his star…

The dog whines softly again, nuzzling against his side until the pressure eases and he can breathe again. “They’ll eventually figure out it landed in my field and then…”

And then he’s sure nothing good will come. There are legends about fallen stars, that they possess magic and abilities no mortal witch has—unless they steal it from the star by carving their heart out of their chest.

“We need to find the star first, Mari.”

She sighs, brows furrowing as she leans back in the chair. “I know. But you said you didn’t see anything else there but this dog, right?”

“Yeah, but it was dark and honestly my feet were a mess because I just jumped off the roof and ran to the field without my shoes, so I didn’t stick around long to look…” He stops when Mari shoots him a look caught between bewilderment and exasperation.

Thankfully, she doesn’t comment on the stupidity of jumping off their roof (though he’s sure he’ll hear about it later). Instead, she says, “Fair enough, we’ll go to your field right after breakfast. I doubt anyone’s put together that the star fell in there yet, so we should be alright to wait a little bit.”

And that gets another frown out of Yuuri. He doesn’t want to wait. His chest tightens again at the thought of it, but he knows Mari’s right. He still needs to look at how badly his feet are cut up and ask his dad to maybe use some more complex healing spells to fix them if they’re that bad. Which... based on how they’re throbbing right now he wouldn’t be surprised if he did need extra help.

Great.

“Okay,” he mumbles and swings his feet over the side of his bed. “I’ll be down in five minutes. That’ll give me time to figure out how to explain…” He gestures to the dog still nuzzling his side, and the smile that pulls at his lips comes without thought.

At that, Mari laughs. “Yeah, good luck with that,” she says as she stands and opens the door. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Then she’s gone and he’s left alone with the dog again. Alright. He can do this. He can think of a way to explain to his parents that he’s almost positive this dog is some kind of celestial being that fell at the same time as his favorite star.

Totally easy.

He gets up and changes out of his pajamas in a blur, and it isn’t until he’s halfway down the stairs that he completely gives up on trying to explain things in a way that sounds sane. At least they eat breakfast in the private dining room instead of with the other guests, because he’d rather not have them all overhear what happened last night. Something in his gut tells him to reveal the truth to as few people as he can. For once, he’s thankful his anxiety has kept his circle of friends rather small.

He’s passing through the entrance of the inn when someone shouts “Makkachin!” and the dog takes off at a run from his side. Startled, Yuuri’s gaze jolts towards the voice and finds a man crouching in the doorway, arms spread wide to catch the dog— _Makkachin_ —in an embrace.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, girl!” the man says, and that’s when it finally clicks with Yuuri that he must be the dog’s owner.

But wait, isn’t the dog…? Wouldn’t that make this man…?

He is so not awake enough for this. In fact, he’ll need at least two pots of coffee to even get close to processing a fraction of what’s going on. So instead of trying to figure it out, he lets his gaze linger on the man, taking in his beautiful silver hair that cascades past his shoulders and to his mid-back. He’s pale, like he hasn’t seen many days in the sun, but when he stands up Yuuri sees he’s at least a couple inches taller than him, and his broad shoulders and slender legs are —

He shakes the next thoughts from his head, blaming them on the emotional rollercoaster he’s still apparently on.

“Oh! Vicchan, you found your dog!”

Yuuri feels hysterical laughter bubble up his throat when his mom walks out of their private dining room and marches right up to the beautiful man— _Vicchan_ —and pats his arm affectionately. He hasn’t felt this unhinged since Yuuko told him she was pregnant with triplets and asked if he would be their godfather.

“It seems so! She walked by just as he did!” Vicchan ( _what is that short for?_ ) says, and points directly at him.

Words stick to the roof of his mouth when his mom turns to look at him. “Yuuri, you found Makkachin?”

All he can do is nod.

His mom beams and turns back to Vicchan. “We’re about to eat breakfast, would you like to join us?”

And yet, today just continues to get more surreal. If his feet didn’t ache he would write all of this off as some strange dream and think nothing of it. But oh no, they hurt and his knees feel like they’re going to fall off and he still needs to ask his dad to use his healing spells and—

“Oh! Yes, I’d love to!”

Just as the hysteria is about to burst free, Mari swoops in and grabs his elbow, hauling him into the dining room before shoving him down into his usual seat.

“He apparently showed up right before I asked you about that dog. I didn’t notice him because I ran straight up to your room when I got back,” she whispers quickly before sitting down beside him as Vicchan and his mom walk in.

He lets out a breathy “oh” before realizing the beautiful man is across from him and giving him a smile that’s so bright and heart-shaped it should be illegal simply for the things it’s currently doing to Yuuri’s heart.

“You’re staring,” Mari mutters just as their parents join them at the table, placing food in front of everyone like eating breakfast with strangers who wander in looking for their poodles is something they do every day.

Yuuri’s pretty sure he’s a heartbeat away from an anxiety attack because his chest feels too tight, his skin too taut, and the pain in his feet a reminder that this is _actually happening_. But he manages to pick up his chopsticks and take a few bites of the food his dad made for them while he continues to stare, stare, stare because—

“So Vicchan, where are you from?” his dad asks, breaking him from his thoughts.

He watches the other man even more closely, anticipation bubbling in his chest because surely this man must be…

But the man’s face falls, brows dipped down in confusion as if he’s wracking his brain for the answer that should be there but seems to be gone. “I... don’t know,” he finally answers, and Yuuri’s breath hitches.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his mom’s expression become concerned. “Do you know how you got here?” she asks, gentle, always gentle, because his mom is the kindest person Yuuri’s ever known.

The man shakes his head. Yuuri can see fear creeping into his eyes now, and he can only imagine what it must be like to be missing so much. “I just... I remember waking up in the woods nearby and that Makkachin wasn’t with me even though she’s _always_ with me.”

Woods nearby.

Yuuri’s grip on his chopsticks tightens, and he’s sure they’re about to snap in half any second. When Mari sucks in a sharp breath beside him, he knows she must’ve pieced it together by now as well—that this man, Vicchan, has to be the fallen star— _his_ star.

He jumps up and marches over to the door open to the public dining area and slams it shut. “Yuuri?” his dad asks when he turns around, and Vicchan is looking at him with wide eyes. Blue eyes, Yuuri notes, but promptly shoves it away because now is not the time to wax poetics about how beautiful they are.

“I think…” he starts, looking at Mari long enough to see her nod encouragingly, “I think you’re the fallen star.”

There’s a beat of silence where no one moves, no one breathes, no one even blinks before he hears: “Oh. Oh dear, if he is that’ll mean…”

Yuuri nods, not looking at his mom when she speaks because he’s unable to tear his gaze away from the man. The star, an actual star, is sitting in his family’s inn right now, and his heart thrums in his chest when that thought crosses his mind. “Do you remember anything from before last night?” he asks, trying to sound as gentle as his mom, but probably failing spectacularly.

The man’s lips part slightly, as if surprised by Yuuri’s question, but the confusion soon creeps back into his expression. “No. No, I don’t. All I remember is Makkachin and my name—Viktor.”

Is this supposed to happen? If Viktor really is the fallen star—and Yuuri’s almost completely positive that he is—then why would he suddenly forget thousands if not millions of years? Why would he forget the reason he fell in the first place?

“Well, you’ll just have to stay here with us until you remember again,” his dad says and Yuuri startles, turning to look at him with wide eyes.

Stay _here_?

But. It makes sense too. They all know what will happen to Viktor if the wrong people find out what he is and where he comes from. Even if the legends aren’t true and you can’t steal a star’s magic by ripping their heart from their chest, it won’t stop them from trying and—

He wants to laugh despite how inappropriate the timing is, because how is this suddenly his life?

Just yesterday morning, he was secretly glad Mari was coming back home from her trip because he was hardly getting any sleep between work around the inn, school, and the field.

Yesterday, he ate lunch with Phichit, Chris, and Mila after his morning class. Yesterday, he pressed his hands to the dirt of his field, willing and begging it to let beautiful things grow again.

Yesterday, he spoke to the stars.

And today... well, today one of them sits right in front of him, beautiful and stunning, and Yuuri’s breath catches in his throat again as everything hits him.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose,” Viktor says, suddenly looking small and unsure, and Yuuri hates it, hates it, hates it…

His mom interrupts his thoughts, voice soft and reassuring, “We don’t mind at all. You’ll be safe here while we figure out how to get your memories back.”

And even though he knows they can’t promise Viktor’s safety, he can’t help but believe it anyway. They may just be a small-town family of witches who practice natural and healing magic, but that doesn't mean they won’t try their best.

Plus, Viktor’s been there for him over and over and over again, and now it’s his turn to be.

Viktor’s eyes seem to dance when he looks up at him. “Thank you,” he murmurs, and Yuuri’s heart lurches in his chest.

 

. . .

 

“So you need to take a shower before you—”

“Oh!”

Yuuri turns around at Viktor’s startled shout, and immediately claps his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing at what he sees: Viktor standing a good distance away from the running shower with a wet patch of hair and beads of water trailing down his pale shoulders and chest (focus, Yuuri, focus) looking as though the water personally offended him.

“Everything alright?” he asks once the laughter settles safely back into his chest.

Viktor’s expression only grows more confused, as if Yuuri just asked him to perform a complex ritual from a book written in Altaic. “What is this?”

It takes a moment for Yuuri to realize what Viktor is referring to, and when he does he has to take another moment to let his own bewilderment pass. “It’s water,” he says.

That gets Viktor’s attention, who turns to look at him sharply. “What? Really? How is it so runny?”  

“So... runny…” he repeats, incredulous, until he abruptly remembers that Viktor is a _star_ and has absolutely _no memory_ and promptly kicks himself for being rude. “It’s not cold enough. Once it’s zero degrees or colder it freezes and turns into ice.”

Viktor’s eyes brighten and he hums softly under his breath before turning back to face the shower. Yuuri watches as he holds out his hand, tentative at first but then abruptly shoves it under the running water. As Viktor giggles and starts splashing the water around, he wonders how his mom thought he’d ever be able to actually help when Viktor is this beautiful, this _adorable_.

It leaves him breathless and he completely forgoes his own running shower to watch Viktor finally gather up the courage to stick his head back under the water. His giggling turns into full-blown laughter as his silvery strands stick to his forehead, his neck, his shoulders, and Yuuri positively refuses to let his eyes wander any further down…

“Do I use this to clean myself?” Viktor’s voice snaps him out of his slight daze, and he feels a blush bloom across his cheeks at being caught staring so blatantly.

(He tries to ignore the fact Viktor doesn’t seem to care or mind it at all.)

Shaking his head, he blinks a few times to refocus and finds a bar of soap in Viktor’s hands. “Yeah,” he says and reaches for his own bar before sticking it under the water to suds it up. Viktor copies him, eyes dancing with light and Yuuri can’t help but wonder if they’ll always sparkle like this, if it’s because of how Viktor used to shine and dance up in the sky.

The next few minutes continue like that, Viktor asking questions and Yuuri showing him how to use everything. It’s strange, being forced to think about these basic pieces of his everyday life that he does automatically. And it gets even stranger when Yuuri realizes that Viktor is technically older than him by several thousands, if not millions, of years.

It’s as they’re drying off that Yuuri remembers Mari’s words from when they were younger. About how life as a star must be lonely, and he wonders if Viktor felt that before he chose to fall, if that’s why he decided to give up near immortality to feel water on his skin, the wind in his hair, and occasional meaningless conversations.

“Yuuri?”

He looks up and can’t help but smile as he watches Viktor pick up his wet hair and look at it curiously. “Will my hair stay like this now?” he asks, and it’s such a genuinely innocent question that it’s impossible for Yuuri not to laugh lightly as he walks over to Viktor.

Plucking the hair tie Mari gave him from his basket, he snaps it onto his wrist as he reaches out to let Viktor’s starlight strands run through his fingers. “No,” he says, letting his amusement leak into his tone as he starts to weave the strands into a quick and loose braid. “It’ll dry after a while.”

Viktor is oddly silent and he glances down to see Viktor watching him intently. “What are you doing?”

His heart clenches briefly, wondering if he overstepped a boundary of Viktor’s, but then Viktor smiles slightly, the corners of his lips quirking up just so to let Yuuri know things are fine.

“I’m braiding your hair so it doesn’t touch the water when we’re in the hot springs,” Yuuri explains as he reaches the ends of Viktor’s hair and winds it into a bun. “It’s considered impolite, so this will make sure yours doesn’t.”

Once he’s done, Yuuri takes a step back to make sure Viktor’s braid won’t abruptly fall apart and smiles when it seems secure enough. Viktor reaches up to touch his hair, curious, and just as Yuuri’s about to gently tell him not to poke and prod it too much, he drops his hand back to his side and beams. “Thank you, Yuuri.”

He should really just embrace the fact that he’ll probably have a permanent blush whenever he’s around Viktor, and so he resists the urge to drop his gaze to the ground. “You’re welcome, Viktor,” he murmurs, and then immediately clears his throat. “The springs are through those doors, we don’t have to do anything else to get ready so…”

Viktor nods, looking equal parts excited and apprehensive, and Yuuri quickly forgets about the blush staining his cheeks as he leads the way to the actual hot springs. A habit that’s long ingrained has him pausing just on the other side of the door, and his lips quirk into a smile when he takes a deep, appreciative breath and Viktor copies him.

They quickly set their towels aside, and Yuuri reminds himself over and over and over again to keep his eyes on Viktor’s face as he reaches down to grab a bucket, ready to show Viktor how to gradually adjust his body to the hot waters.

When he turns, Viktor’s excitement is gone. Instead, it seems to have been replaced with fear. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

Viktor startles and Yuuri immediately feels bad. “I just don’t understand why we’re willingly about to hurt ourselves.”

A heartbeat passes before Yuuri realizes that hot water must sound like something to be avoided to a person who’s never... been a human before. He quickly snaps his mouth shut when he realizes his lips had parted in surprise. “This water won’t burn you.”

Viktor shoots him a skeptical look. “But it’s _hot_ water. Wouldn’t it hurt when we got in?”

Yuuri’s really got to get better at explaining things to Viktor. “Do you trust me?” he asks, voice kind and tender because it’s the only way he knows how to hopefully soothe Viktor’s concerns.

There’s absolutely no hesitation from Viktor, who nods his head quickly before looking down at the bucket in Yuuri’s hand. “I do,” he says, equally soft, equally gentle. “What’s that for?”

Perhaps his next decision might not turn out to be the best, but he turns away from Viktor, dips the bucket into the hot waters, and beckons the other man to stand near the edge of the stones. Again, Viktor doesn’t even hesitate and Yuuri’s heart flutters, light and buoyant in his chest.

When Viktor’s close enough he slowly pours the water over Viktor’s feet and he laughs when Viktor makes a surprised noise. “It’s hot but... it doesn’t hurt—that’s so confusing!”

Glancing up, he can’t help but marvel at the fascination written across Viktor’s face. It’s strange to see someone find joy in little things that Yuuri’s long grown accustomed to. Perhaps Viktor showing up will do them all some good.

“Just wait until you’re in fully,” he says, lips quirking up in a small smile.

Viktor lifts his gaze from his feet and returns Yuuri’s smile. “You’ve loved these springs for a long time,” he says, and the words surprise Yuuri, leave him abruptly off balance.

But it’s Vikor’s expression that unsettles Yuuri the most, tugs at his heart and creates this desire to wrap the other man up into his arms to soothe away any pain he may feel. He keeps his hands on the bucket though, and reminds himself that just because he’s talked to Viktor for years while he was in the sky doesn’t mean he can act as though they’ve been friends for just as long.

They spend the next few minutes in silence, each acclimating their bodies to the water until they’re fully submerged, and soon Yuuri forgets about the sadness he caught lurking in Viktor’s eyes when Viktor starts giggling again as he runs his fingers through the water, watching it ripple and shift.

“Maybe I decided to fall so I could try out these hot springs.”

Viktor’s words are like a punch to the gut and he stares at the other man, wondering if he’s going to say anything else. When it seems like Viktor’s either waiting for Yuuri to respond, he fidgets against the rocks he settled against.

“It seems like a serious thing, falling, so I’m sure there’s an important reason,” he says, hesitant and afraid it’ll be all wrong.

“Hmm, I’m sure there is.” Viktor doesn’t look up from the water, continuing to play with it as though they aren’t discussing something significant. “It’s a shame Makkachin can’t enjoy the hot springs too. I think she’d love the water.”

Yuuri is positive he’s gaping like a fish as he tries to keep up with the abrupt changes in their conversation. His mind though, latches onto those last words because it’s something he can process, dogs are _normal_ (his mind steadfastly ignores how Makkachin must be a star as well), and so he quickly shakes his head to center himself again before saying, “We can take her to the ocean after we’re done if you want.”

That gets Viktor’s full attention and Yuuri quickly closes his mouth, trying to look as though this is a perfectly normal day. “The ocean?”

“Oh, um, it’s the largest body of water on the planet. People swim in it or lay out on the beaches to soak up the sun during the summer. I mean, we obviously won’t go swimming in it today because it’s too cold this time of year, but Makkachin would probably be fine to splash around in it a little and um... yeah,” he rambles, wishing desperately that he could sink to the bottom of the hot spring.

Viktor though, apparently decides he doesn’t care that Yuuri’s an awkward mess and grabs his hands beneath the surface of the water. “That sounds fun, let’s do that!”

And then Viktor stands, yanking Yuuri up with him so quickly that his foot slips on the smooth rocks beneath their feet, sending him straight into Viktor’s chest. It’s a strange experience, feeling someone’s laughter against your cheek and then hearing it out loud a second later, and Yuuri finds his embarrassment momentarily at bay as he lets Viktor’s laughter seep into his bones.

“Wait!” he screeches, averting his eyes away from well... Viktor’s everything, when reality crashes back down a moment later. “Viktor, we just got in here, um, we can go later, the ocean will still be there in a couple hours.”

Viktor sighs, which draws Yuuri’s gaze up from the cloudy mineral water to find a pout that should not be adorable on a grown man’s face, yet somehow is on this ridiculous one. “Fine, I guess you’re right. Anything I may know about your world is gone so I can’t argue.”

The resulting splash of Viktor forcing them both to sit back down is the only sound between them, and Yuuri wishes he was better at conversations, better at finding the right words at the right times, but he isn’t so he chews on his bottom lip until he’s certain the skin is nearly broken.

It isn’t until Viktor’s eyes flutter closed and he rests his head against the ledge of the spring that Yuuri realizes they’re still holding hands. Slowly, he tries to let go but Viktor’s fingers flex, tightening his grip subtly enough that Yuuri realizes he’s not getting his hand back any time soon.

Thankfully he can blame this blush on the steam.

Eventually, the silence settles into something that Yuuri can handle, something almost comfortable even though he’s far too aware of how close they’re sitting to each other completely naked. He chastises himself because he’s not a teenager anymore, hasn’t been one for years—he should be able to act like a normal person when he’s talking to someone attractive.

(If Phichit were here, he’s sure his best friend would whip out his phone and pull up pictures to prove him wrong, but thankfully he isn’t so Yuuri can delude himself into thinking he’s a functioning adult.)

A soft snore cuts through the air and Yuuri startles, wondering if someone else is out in the springs with them that they didn’t notice. But when it happens again a moment later, he realizes it’s Viktor.

And oh. It seems fitting that Viktor fell asleep in the springs beneath the morning sun with his hair pulled up into a braid, delicately showing off the sharp lines of his jaw. As he reaches up to gently shake Viktor awake, he realizes that it’s daytime and wait, do stars even sleep? If they do, then Viktor must be used to sleeping at this time instead of being wide awake and walking around a rather uninteresting town.

He’s saved from making the decision to let Viktor continuing sleeping or not by his dad opening up the door to their left, letting it hit the frame with a loud enough snap to draw Viktor from whatever dreams he may have been having.

Yuuri knows he should greet his dad and ask if he needs help with something, but he can’t rip his eyes away from Viktor, who seems to wake softly like the abrupt sound wasn’t jarring in the slightest. He blinks a few times before turning his head, and Yuuri watches the corners of Viktor’s lips quirk up into a smile and before he knows it he’s smiling back. “Hey,” he whispers, and smiles wider when Viktor squeezes his hand. “You fell asleep.”

His words cause Viktor’s smile to grow as he chuckles. “Yes, well, I’m not usually up when your sun is out like this.”

The words settle into Yuuri’s mind, and the moment they do he sits up a little straighter, lips parted with the question “ _Wait, do you remember something_?” but his dad clears his throat, and Yuuri’s gaze snaps up. His dad doesn’t seem upset that he’s been ignored since he arrived; he looks rather amused actually, and Yuuri definitely doesn’t want to know why because he’s sure it’s something utterly embarrassing…

“I just wanted to check on you boys before your mom and I headed down to the market. Do you need anything while we’re there?”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Viktor perk up at the word _market_ , and he bites back a fond sigh, knowing what the other man is about to ask. So he quickly shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. Thanks for asking though.”

His dad nods, looking between him and Viktor before that amused grin is back. Yuuri ducks his head and desperately hopes his dad won’t say anything humiliating, and is immediately thankful when all he hears is a small chuckle and an “Alright, we’ll be back in a couple hours then.”

Once they’re alone again, Yuuri sighs softly, closes his eyes and lets his shoulders relax as he leans back against the warm rocks.

“So, what’s a market?” Viktor asks.

“It’s a place where people go to sell a bunch of different things like fresh vegetables, fish, healing potions, and scrying crystals,” Yuuri says. “Sometimes you’ll get someone in there who offers to break small curses on family heirlooms.” As he speaks, the rocks start to feel a little too warm against his back, so he opens his eyes and—

He yelps when he realizes Viktor’s face is _right there_.

“Can we go there after the ocean?” And as Yuuri takes in Viktor’s wide smile along with the cute little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, he knows he’s about to spend his day taking Viktor around so he can see everything there is to see in this small town.

So, he breathes out, “Yes,” and watches Viktor brighten even more. Viktor’s skin seems to shimmer with a soft glow, but Yuuri’s eyes must be playing a trick on him because when he blinks the other man looks normal.

Or as normal as one can be when their hair is literally a beautiful light silver.

Much to Yuuri’s relief, Viktor puts some distance between them again and they soak in the water for a few more minutes before he notices his skin beginning to prune. Viktor doesn’t need to be told twice that it’s time to get out, and the only appropriate response to watching Viktor nearly slip and fall is laughter.

“I didn’t realize you were so excited to go to the ocean,” he says, following Viktor out of the springs at a much more acceptable pace.

Viktor spins on his heels wrapping himself up in the robe and smiling so widely that Yuuri’s positive that it must hurt his cheeks. “Yes! There’s so many things I need to learn about and want to see. It’s exciting, don’t you think?”

“I…” Yuuri trails off, unsure of how to answer Viktor without dimming that smile. “I think it will be with you? I’ve lived here my whole life so, um, nothing is very exciting anymore. But uh... it’ll be fun to see it through your eyes.”

Viktor’s smile shrinks, but not in a way that sends Yuuri’s anxiety racing through his veins though his heart certainly does flutter. “I’ll do my best to make sure it is then,” he says, and before Yuuri can even think of responding Viktor is marching his way inside the inn calling out for Makkachin.

“Oh… I’m so screwed.”

 

. . .

 

Makkachin, he quickly learns, is just as excitable as Viktor once she’s outside the inn. While it’s clear she wants to run off and smell everything she can stick her nose into, she never strays far from Viktor’s side, always within his line of sight so that she can bound back in just a few strides.

When they finally reach the beach a few minutes later, he can see her indecision in the way she looks at the waves crashing against the shore and then back at Viktor, who’s stopped to stare at the view in front of them right where the pavement gives way to sand.

Yuuri doesn’t move either, but he doesn’t look at the waves; they’re long familiar to him in the way he could close his eyes halfway around the world and picture the scene in front of them with perfect clarity. No, he glances at Viktor who looks as though he just witnessed the birth of a whole new world.

It sinks in that Viktor probably has seen just that, and wonders if he saw Yuuri’s planet spin itself to life.

“Does it bother you, not remembering anything?”

He regrets it the moment the words spill from his mouth, and he’s well on his way to apologizing when Viktor turns to glance at him briefly before looking back at Makkachin who’s attempting to play with the seagulls. That one look kills whatever words were rolling around on his tongue and he falls silent.

“It does,” Viktor says, and Yuuri’s chest tightens. He can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like, can’t even fathom how he’d feel if he woke up one day and had no recollection of who he was outside of his name.

He would be handling it much worse than Viktor is—that’s for sure.

Yuuri thinks that’s all he’s going to get in response until Viktor steps out onto the sand, barefoot and looking utterly carefree amongst the winds and sand and chill. “I can’t help but wonder though, if it’s better that I’ve forgotten.”

Before he can press further, Viktor shakes his head and shoots him a quick smile. “We’re not here to talk about any of that though. Tell me about the ocean.”

And so Yuuri does as Makkachin barks and chases the waves until they rush back to chase her. It’s an adorable dance, and he wants to cast a quick spell that’ll capture the moment in such perfect clarity he’ll never be able to forget it. But he hesitates too long, and the moment ends.

They settle near the small ridge in the sand where the water settles during high tide, daring to go no further. Makkachin’s curled up at their feet, exhausted, damp, and fast asleep.  

Even with the sun out like this, Yuuri still casts a quick warming charm over the three of them and feels himself relax when the wind no longer cuts through his coat. As silence wraps around them again, Yuuri tries to plan out the rest of their day. They’d need to drop Makkachin back off at the inn before going to the market since it’s far too crowded to take her there without either her getting overwhelmed or possibly hurt because someone wasn’t paying attention, but after that they could get her again and then—

“Why did all of you grow worried when you realized what I was?”

His thoughts promptly derail, and he stares at Viktor with wide-eyed surprise that quickly morphs into concern when he notices Viktor’s eyes seem almost dim despite the sunshine all around them. “What?” he asks, tongue-tied and slow.

“When you figured out that I must be the star that fell, it’s like you were scared of something. Is it me?”

The emotional whiplash of the day is going to take its toll, Yuuri knows that much, and distantly he wonders if he should crash at Phichit’s place in case things get bad. For now though, he’s able to ignore the building storm in his chest and shakes his head quickly. “No, no, we’re not scared of you.”

At this, Viktor finally looks at him and Yuuri stops breathing.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

The blue is gone from his eyes, replaced with a kaleidoscope of pinks and blues and greens, as if Yuuri is looking into a miniature nebula dotted with glittering, newborn stars. “Then what are you afraid of?”

“Of the legends.”

The nebula in Viktor’s eyes fades ever so slightly, and Yuuri mourns the loss of its vibrancy before realizing it’s happening because Viktor’s confused. He forces himself to lean away slightly, trying to resist the pull of Viktor’s orbit long enough to properly explain.

Honestly, they should have explained this better at breakfast, but they were all too stunned to think anything through. “There are legends that say if you cut out a fallen star’s heart you can possess their magic.”

And even though it’s only been half a day since Viktor waltzed into his life, the thought of seeing him limp and lifeless with a hole in chest sends fear racing through his veins. He shoves that fear deep, _deep_ down and sucks in a shaky breath to center himself again. “And when you fell last night, a lot of people saw you and this time... this time the whole world will know about you because we have the technology to spread information quickly now.”

Viktor has remained completely still as he spoke and Yuuri isn’t sure what to make of it.

“This time?”

In this moment, Yuuri wishes desperately that he paid more attention to the stories his mom told as a kid to help him sleep after restless nights, or to his teachers in school whenever they went over the historical legends of Asuwa.

“There… there was a star who fell about four hundred years ago,” he begins, and prays this will be enough for Viktor until Yuuri can head into the city to find out more. “And the stories say someone cut out their heart, or well, we assume that’s what happened. No one can be certain because a lot of the original documents were destroyed. Not all of them, but… enough that there’s a lot we don’t know for sure.”

The nebula of Viktor’s eyes flash, like a star went supernova within his irises for half a second, before settling back to the blue that Yuuri first saw at breakfast. “So, you’re afraid someone will kill me so they can steal my magic then.”

It isn’t a question, and Yuuri isn’t sure what to do with the sudden calm that seems to have settled over Viktor. “Yes,” he says.

The corner of Viktor’s lips quirk as he turns to look at the sea again. “And do _you_ want to cut out my heart, Yuuri?”

Hurt sears through his chest so suddenly that all Yuuri can do is curl his fingers into the sand and pray it's enough to anchor him. He reminds himself, once the worst of it passes, that Viktor doesn’t know him. Viktor doesn’t know _any_ of them and has no real reason to trust them the way he has so far.

“No,” he says, and hates the way his voice cracks. “I have no need for your magic.”

That grabs Viktor’s attention again and when he turns he doesn’t say anything at first, letting the silence between them grow taut until Yuuri’s sure it’ll snap. “No need,” he echoes, and Yuuri can hear the disbelief layered beneath the veneer of calm.

He nods. “I’m perfectly fine with mine the way it is… I don’t need to be the most powerful person to be happy.”

His mind takes this moment to remind him that his magic seems to have weakened, seems to be doing more harm than good. But Viktor doesn’t know that, doesn’t need to know that, because despite that it doesn’t change the fact Yuuri wants to keep him safe.

“No, I suppose you don’t need to be in order to run a flower shop,” Viktor says, and the words _“how do you know that”_ curl on his tongue, poised to spill from his lips until he feels a cool hand wrap around his own, prying it up from the sand.

He jerks, looking down to see Viktor’s pale fingers brush away the sand clinging to his skin, and he isn’t sure what to make of anything anymore as he watches. “You promised to take me to the market,” Viktor murmurs, and when he glances up their faces are far too close again. But he remains silent, afraid to move or even breathe.

“I did,” he whispers.

Viktor smiles, and the knot in Yuuri’s chest eases slightly. Not enough to breathe yet, but enough that his shoulders relax and he lets Viktor lace their fingers together. “Show me then.”

Yuuri’s pretty sure they aren’t talking about the market anymore, but he nods and stands anyway despite the swirling confusion in his head, and casts a quick spell to scrub the sand from his skin. He repeats it on Viktor, and then on Makkachin, who looks up at the two of them with a lopsided grin of her own.

_What do you know?_

The question sinks into his mind, latches onto his thoughts, and makes a home in his bones, and Yuuri knows he can never go back to his normal life. And as they make their way onto the sidewalk, with their shoes back on and another heating charm cast over the three of them to keep the chill at bay, a sharp pain flashes up his spine.

But when he snaps his gaze up from the ground to search for the source of whatever magic he just felt, all he notices is Makkachin trying to chase her own tail in endless circles and the sound of Viktor’s bright laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on this first chapter! The next update should be the first of June if everything goes according to schedule. If it's your thing, feel free to follow me on Tumblr at [ofviktor](http://ofviktor.tumblr.com/). I will happily answer any questions about this fic or just scream about YOI in general, so please don't be shy. :) 
> 
> Until next time <3


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